C19 Demon Emperor Qing Qian!

Upon realizing that the Fox Demon Emperor couldn't harm him for the time being, Qin Buyi dismissed her from his mind.

His attention drifted from Qingqian to the luminous star core.

"Hey! Human, why have you gone silent?"

Qingqian noticed Qin Buyi's fascination with the star core surpassing his interest in her, and she spoke with a hint of annoyance.

Qin Buyi approached the star core and grasped it firmly with both hands.

The star core remained immovable, while strands of star power emerged, one end anchored to the star core and the other linked to Qingqian below.

"This is going to be tricky," Qin Buyi mused upon witnessing the scene.

It was clear that Qingqian's entrapment was the work of the star core.

With a furrowed brow, Qin Buyi contemplated the two challenges before him: how to retrieve the star core and how to escape with his life from Qingqian, the Demon Emperor.

He glanced at the Fourth Rank Teleportation Talisman in his Storage Space, and a strategy for his departure quickly formed in his mind.

[Fourth Rank Teleportation Talisman: Select a direction at random and instantly travel ten thousand miles.]

Watching Qin Buyi's furrowed expression, Qingqian chuckled behind her hand.

"Human, if that approach worked, I wouldn't have been stuck here for three hundred years."

"Yet, after three centuries of study, I've found it's not impossible to remove this thing."

"But the method I've discovered requires your assistance," Qingqian explained.

Puzzled, Qin Buyi inquired, "Your powers far exceed mine; why would you need my help?"

Gazing at the star core above, Qingqian replied with a tone of resignation, "The method must be executed from the outside. As you can see, I'm trapped here, completely immobilized."

"What method are you referring to?" Qin Buyi asked, his expression wary.

"Come closer, and stop being so guarded. I'm not going to eat you," she said with a touch of irritation. Pulling out a red handkerchief from her bosom, Qingqian added, "I possess a treasure that can aid you in acquiring the star core."

After a brief pause, Qingqian continued, "However, my powers are currently constrained by the star core, so you'll need to come down and retrieve it yourself."

Qin Buyi remained still, and after a lengthy silence, he declared confidently, "You're deceiving me."

Caught in her lie by Qin Buyi, Qingqian showed no sign of embarrassment and chuckled, "Hehe, what gave me away?"

"A Demon Emperor, even with limited powers, wouldn't be so helpless as to lose control over their own abilities."

Qin Buyi's expression was icy. From the moment they met, the Fox Demon Emperor had only one aim: to lure him down.

Observing the link between the star core and the Fox Demon Emperor, Qin Buyi quickly grasped why the Fox Demon Emperor was so desperate for him to descend.

"Fox Demon Emperor, from your initial failed attempts at enchantment to your current schemes to get me to descend, it seems your true intention is to have me take your place, isn't it?"

"What are you talking about? I don't follow," Qingqian replied, her eyes flickering briefly, though her expression remained unchanged.

"Don't you? If I'm not mistaken, the star core is treating you as nourishment, continuously draining your energy."

"The reason you want me to descend is straightforward: you wish for me to become the new source of nourishment for the star core, allowing you to escape at the opportune moment. A clever ruse, indeed."

Watching Qin Buyi articulate her inner thoughts with near-perfect accuracy, Qingqian's facade finally cracked.

"You're quite the astute human. Indeed, that was my plan. So, how about this? I have an abundance of treasures and Spirit Stones here. If you come down, they're all yours."

"And that's not all. If you desire... I... can be yours as well. Plus, I assure you there will be no threat to your life," Qingqian coaxed.

Qin Buyi didn't budge. Descend? Impossible. Even a Demon Emperor beyond the Deification Stage had been reduced to bargaining like one at the Nascent Infant Stage by the star core.

If he were to go down, he'd be drained to death in mere moments.

Seeing Qin Buyi still resolute, Qingqian stripped away her amiable facade, her gaze turning murderous as she spoke:

"Human, don't spurn the toast only to be forced to drink the forfeit. I've etched your scent into my memory. The day I leave this place, rest assured, I will flay you and strip your bones."

"Just come down now, and the treasures and Spirit Stones on me will still be yours. If not..."

Before Qingqian could finish, Qin Buyi cut her off with an icy demeanor, "Enough with your prattle, it's grating!"

"Human, you're seeking your own demise!"

Qin Buyi's provocation enraged Qingqian. Back before she was trapped here, a mere Nascent Infant Stage cultivator like him wouldn't even be fit to carry her shoes. And now, he had the audacity to address her in such a manner.

"Roar!"

A furious roar shook the ground, and a colossal snow-white fox with nine tails materialized.

The Fox Demon Emperor's eyes, brimming with bloodlust and cruelty, locked onto Qin Buyi.

From above, Qin Buyi gazed down at Qingqian with a hint of amusement and remarked casually, "So this is your true form. Your fur would make a fine, warm hat."

With that, he shifted his focus to the star core, dismissing Qingqian from his attention.

On the ground, Qingqian's glare bore into Qin Buyi. If looks could kill, he would have perished several times over by now.

"Since the usual approach is futile, it's time to try something else," Qin Buyi mused silently to himself.

"Clang!"

The Killing Saber was drawn and brought down fiercely upon the star core.

"Boom!"

The clash between blade and core echoed thunderously through the cavern.

Qin Buyi sheathed his saber, relieved to see the star core unscathed. His initial fear of damaging it was unfounded; the core was more resilient than he had anticipated.

"Human, what... what are you trying to do?"

Qingqian's voice trembled with alarm, Qin Buyi's recent move having startled her.

The energy within the star core, if unleashed, could annihilate not just them but also devastate much of the Falling Star Mountain Range.

Qin Buyi seemed deaf to Qingqian's concerns.

"Killing Swordsmanship: Slaughter!"

Channeling his full power into the quivering Killing Saber, he struck at the star core with renewed ferocity.

"Boom!"

The resounding crash of the blade striking down was several times more intense than the first. A massive recoil surged from the star core, sending Qin Buyi reeling back several meters in the air before he could steady himself.

"Human, have you lost your mind?! If this thing blows, we'll both be reduced to ashes!"

Qingqian's voice was urgent from below, her anxiety fueled not only by the fear of the star core exploding.

Additionally, as Qin Buyi's two strikes descended, the star core, in defense, began siphoning star power from her at an accelerated rate. While the energy drain from these two slashes was minimal, the looming sense of danger left her deeply unsettled.

"Killing Swordsmanship: Extermination!"

The Killing Saber formed a crescent, encasing the star core within its arc.

"Clang!" "Clang!"

"Clang!"...

As the barrage from the crescent waned, the star core stood unscathed, without a hint of movement.

"Killing Swordsmanship: Slaughter!"

"Boom!"

"Killing Swordsmanship: Extermination!"

"Clang!" "Clang!"

"Slaughter!" "Extermination!"

...

Within half an hour, Qin Buyi had unleashed the Killing Saber against the star core over a thousand times.

He only ceased his assault when his physical strength waned, pausing to rest and recuperate.

"Curse this human, this lunatic! If I can escape this place, I swear I'll slay him!" Qingqian inwardly railed against Qin Buyi as she watched him.

With each of Qin Buyi's thousand strikes, the star core drew more power from her.

It was as if Qin Buyi's attacks indirectly battered her, and the worst part was that she could only endure them passively, unable to fight back.

And though the cumulative effect of the thousands of attacks was not greatly taxing, it was significant enough to warrant concern.

A quarter of an hour passed.

Qin Buyi's strength had returned, and he rose to commence a second wave of attacks.

"Killing Swordsmanship: Slaughter!"

"Clang!"

"Killing Swordsmanship: Extermination!"

"Clang!" "Clang!"...

"Extermination!" "Slaughter!"

After another half-hour, as his physical strength nearly depleted, Qin Buyi's offensive ground to a halt once more.

"Human, it's pointless. Your attacks won't make a difference. Just give up!"

Suppressing the rage boiling within her, Qingqian mustered a smile that was barely distinguishable from a cry, as she attempted to dissuade him.

Qin Buyi regarded Qingqian with a mix of curiosity and asked, "My actions are my own concern. How do they concern you?"

Without another word, Qingqian turned her head away. The thought of this human depleting his own energy while attacking the star core was too dire to contemplate.

The day flew by, with Qin Buyi launching over ten thousand assaults on the star core.

In the subterranean cavern, the distinction between day and night blurred. Trusting his instincts, Qin Buyi surmised it was now night.

He soared towards the upper reaches of the cave and swiftly vanished from Qingqian's view.

"He's left... just like that? Has he given up?"

Watching Qin Buyi's figure retreat, Qingqian felt an unexpected twinge of loss.

Qin Buyi was the first human she had encountered in the centuries of her confinement.

Despite her deep-seated desire to end his life, the prospect of enduring the solitude once more after his departure stirred something within her.